The Complete Guide to Buying Caravan Air Conditioners

If you’ve ever travelled around Australia in a caravan, chances are you’ve experienced the country’s blistering heat. With temperatures nearing the upper end of the thermometer, having a caravan air conditioner has become more of a necessity than a luxury. But these air conditioners are different from your traditional home cooling system and require a thorough understanding of how they work.

This article will cover everything you need to know about caravan air conditioners so that you can choose the right one for your needs and applications.

Why use a caravan air conditioner?

Caravan air conditioners are designed specifically for caravans in that they’re intended to keep water out while you’re travelling. The mounting and fittings are also made to withstand the constant vibrations of the vehicle, something that a typical household split aircon system isn’t built for. A caravan air conditioner allows for maximum cooling efficiency inside your caravan without sacrificing valuable space or storage.

Generally, you have two main options when it comes to caravan air conditioners; a rooftop air conditioner and a built-in air conditioner.  Let’s discuss the differences between these two cooling units.

Rooftop air conditioner

As the name suggests, a rooftop air conditioner sits at the top of your caravan’s roof. The unit comes in two sizes which are 360x360mm or 400x400mm (you can fit a 360x360 unit in a 400x400 square opening by using an adapter). Rooftop air conditioners are the most commonly used cooling units in a caravan since they’re relatively easy to install and doesn’t take up much space.

Having the air conditioner mounted on the roof also makes it more efficient since cold air tends to drop. Roof-mounted units shouldn’t affect your caravan’s aerodynamics too much, though some models tend to be taller and wider than others so do keep that in mind when entering garages and car parks.

Built-in caravan air conditioner

A built-in caravan air conditioner is perfect for caravans and pop-tops that come with a single skin roof. This type of air conditioner is a split system / ducted unit that mounts underneath a bunk or in one of your caravan’s cupboards.

The advantage to a built-in caravan air conditioner is that they operate more quietly than a rooftop air conditioner and can cool the air much faster because they’re installed lower where the air is already cold.

Cooling/heating system

When buying a caravan air conditioner, one thing to look out for is how the cooling/heating system works. Some air conditioners use heat exchange to cool the air and an electrical heating element to warm. While not the most efficient heating method out there, it does a good job of keeping your caravan warm even in the coldest of weather conditions.

Most caravan air conditioners are the reverse cycle units wherein a compressor is used for both cooling and heating. These types of units are the most efficient ones out there, but can suffer from component damage when the temperatures are freezing.

For Australian weather, we recommend a reverse cycle unit due to its energy efficiency. But if you plan on travelling to areas with a particularly cold climate, then a heating element system will work best for you.

Cooling and heating capacity

There are two measurements to consider when looking for a caravan air conditioner and these are the cooling capacity and the heating capacity. Simply put, cooling capacity is the unit’s ability to remove heat inside your caravan whereas the heating capacity refers to the unit’s ability to transfer heat inside your caravan.

• Cooling capacity (kilowatts): Power output of the cooling unit, typically between 2.0 to 3.2 kW.H

• Heating capacity (kilowatts or BTUs): Power output of the heating unit, typically between 1.0 to 3.2 kW.

As a general rule of thumb, buy a 2 to 2.5 kW air conditioner for caravans that are up to 5 metres in length and 3 kW+ for caravans that are up to 7 metres in length.

Power consumption

In terms of power consumption, a caravan air conditioner is likely to be the the most energy consuming appliance in your caravan. An average unit consumes around 1000-2000 watts which is huge compared to just 10 watts for a fridge and 50 watts for a fan. However, this high wattage will only be an issue if you will be powering the aircon with a generator. To get the most out of your air conditioner, you’ll need to camp at powered caravan sites where they don’t charge by the kilowatt.

You can get away with running your air conditioner from a solar panel or a large battery, but that wouldn’t last very long and it wouldn’t be the most economical of options out there. In other words, make sure your generator can handle your caravan air conditioner if you plan on using it away from powered caravan sites.

A caravan air conditioner can drastically improve your comfort levels and make your caravanning experience ten times better. That said, you need to choose the right air conditioner so that it meets your needs and expectations. Make sure to refer to this guide when buying an aircon unit to help you make an informed decision.